His Summer Mark
by Lovelaney
Summary: Faced with a decision that could potentially change her life as she knows it. Jo makes some difficult decisions on a senior summer trip that makes her realize that maybe her books, movies, and stories aren't just stupid fairy tales.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello you beautiful people! I will warn you now so I don't get any more hate about writing what I want to write on here - this is my own story with aspects from This Lullaby. If you only want to read fanficts then I suggest you exit this now! If you are a daring lovely reader that will give me a chance then thank you so much for reading! Please comment/suggest/review/etc! This is also published on FictionPress ~lovelaney - there's my URL if you are on there too, add me! Thanks for reading lovelies! **

I fall in love with movies and books with a strong heroine lead - with a romance of course. You know, those girls that don't take crap from any of the love interests and are just pretty bad-ass – it made me feel stronger.

But one thing that is common in all films or books with the leading lady is that nothing happens to her that happens to all regular women! Like honestly, when was the last time your favorite girl got her period? Hmmm, never. I envy that.

"Jo, what do you think of these?" I set my most recent read down on the cold concrete floor beside me. My mom held up a packet of flower seeds - it would be an ugly addition to our small garden, but I nodded anyway, giving her a reassuring positive smile. She turned back to the box of random things we had found in my Grandparent's garage. The sun was shining abnormally bright today, but there was a nice breeze with the garage door was open.

She needed positivity, more now than ever. We were going through her parents' things. It had only been a week since they passed away - together in their sleep. It was something I had only heard of in movies. Don't get me wrong, I felt horrible too – but I had only seen them two or three times that I remember.

We had gone through box after box after box, finding some neat things my mom hadn't seen since she was a kid. A long shadow cast over my book on my lap.

"Are my two favorite ladies hungry?" A heartwarming and familiar voice washed over my mother and me, putting smiles on both of our faces. I was surprised I didn't hear his old clunker of a truck pull up. Aaron strode into the garage juggling enough food to feed a small army. His broad shoulders blocked the sun from my eyes, but I swear his smile was so bright I still had to squint when my eyes met his face.

My mom found a rolled up blanket and spread it out across the garage floor. Aaron set down the bags in the middle of us and I smelt the mouthwatering smell of greasy burgers and fries from Serv-A-Buger, my favorite burger joint. My mom and Aaron went there nearly every day when they were my age. He tossed me my American Bacon burger. I hadn't realized how hungry I had been, it had to be getting close to 6 o'clock by now.

"How's Kendra doing?" my mom asks Aaron this every time they see each other. Kendra is his girlfriend – she doesn't hang around my mom and me. I'm more than positive she doesn't like him hanging around us since my mom isn't married. And Aaron always replies with something along the lines of, 'Oh she's fine. How's work going Nora?' or 'Great, she's great – how's school going Jo?'

But this time he didn't answer. He wiped some ketchup-mustard mix off the corner of his mouth and casually passed me a container of fries.

"We can talk about this later," my mom placed a hand on his knee and glanced towards me.

"You know," I said between bites, "I'm not twelve anymore. You can talk in front of me," I mumbled loud enough for them to hear it, and my mom looked taken aback.

"Joslyn, you don't talk to-" Aaron put up his hand, hushing my mother. He pushed his short dark hair back and stretched out his legs, sighing.

"Jo's right Nora," I nervously resituated myself on the hard ground. He looked to my face and then to my mother's.

"Kendra left last week. She went back to her parent's home in Ohio," his gaze had dropped to his hands and I suddenly wasn't very hungry. "She's definitely not coming back anytime soon." I swear I saw my mom's eyes light up for a fraction of a second. Aaron had been like a dad to me from as long as I could remember. My biological dad left before I was born, and I never cared to know who he was.

And though Aaron and my mom never dated, he treated her better than any of her other deadbeat boyfriends. He knew me better than she did sometimes – and he really was handsome for a middle-aged man. I actually wished for 6 years straight that they would end up together and have the fairytale wedding my mom deserved.

"Oh, Aaron, I'm so sorry," My mom was kneeling beside her friend with her arms wrapped around his broad neck. I took ahold of the hand that wasn't wrapped around my mom's waist and gave him a weak smile.

"Well," he sighed after a while of silence, "I say good-riddance," his face was back to the beaming Aaron I had grown to love. "Now I can spend as much time as I want with my two lovely ladies and no one can say otherwise." This made my mom laugh and hug him tighter, he just looked at me and winked.

I really did like him for my mom.

A few weeks ago I graduated from high school. It was probably the last time I would see any of my friends from grade school – all of them were going off and doing big things with their lives. I hadn't figured anything out yet. Not which school I was going to, what I wanted to do with my life… let alone how I would pay for all of it. But Aaron and my mom came to my rescue from a boring summer. I was sitting in the airport about to board my plane to St. Mary's, Georgia. I was going to stay with my mom's sister, Nancy, for the summer.

I couldn't tell if the butterflies in my stomach were from nervousness or excitement, but it was time I did something fun with my life.

"Now, being my daughter you'll be able to hold your alcohol very well – just make sure you don't start on in on the heavy stuff right away okay?" My mouth hung open hearing my mom talk to me like this – she'd raised me to know better. I was content with books and hot cocoa on weekends. I'd had one sip of beer when I was eight out of Aaron's glass (thinking it was apple juice) and nearly hit the floor gagging.

My mom started laughing at me and pulled me into a hug, "I'm going to miss you so much," she kissed the side of my face and squeezed my shoulders.

"I'll miss you too mom." Aaron then grabbed me and spun me around like I was five again, "Please take care of her," I whispered in his ear when my feet touched the ground again. I felt him nod and he ruffled my hair.

"If any of those southern boys even think about touching you – I swear to God they'll have hell to pay!" my face turned red and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Have fun, Jo, don't do anything I wouldn't do," he winked at me and my mom slapped his shoulder. He tucked his arm around my mom's shoulders and I blew the two of them a huge dramatic kiss, and walked toward my gate.


	2. Chapter 2

I wish the excitement had started out right away, like something cool happening on the flight or something. I think the most interesting thing I did was go to the bathroom, and pick apart an airline turkey sandwich – gag.

My Aunt Nancy met me as soon as I got off the plane. Her two kids were both out of the house on their own, being productive adults. The more company she got the better. She pulled me into a hug and the smell of apples invaded my nose.

"How was the flight? I hope it wasn't too long. You're going to have so much fun this summer!" she was a talker, that's for sure. She barely gave me room to nod or shake my head.

"Let's see, there's only a couple things I'll need you to help me with – oh don't worry, they're little things. I fixed up the beach house so we can stay there. Oh dear, I'm just so excited you came!"

I suddenly wondered how out of place I looked. My dark hair was thrown loosely in a high bun and I had on my combat boots and jean shorts. Looking around, it didn't seem like I was fitting in very well. I was attracting some looks from passing boys though – I didn't mind their attention. I never got any from boys back home.

Nancy kept the conversations fueled the entire way to the beach house. I just wanted to get there, lie out on the sand and read a book. I had come prepared for a summer of laziness and tan skin.

"Now, I got to warn you 'bout our new neighbors next door," her tone became lower and more cautious. "They get a little rambunctious, and I told your mother that I wouldn't let you get involved in any of this towns law breaking shenanigans. So just try to stay away from them, you hear me?" I nodded. Who did she think I was? I wouldn't even bother to look in their general direction if I could help it. I didn't have a great history of meshing with those kinds of people.

"All I know is that they drink and smoke too much!" she was still ranting about the neighbor boys as we pulled around the back of the beach house.

"And the horror of their ungodly tattoos… I even saw a couple of them with holes in their earlobes Joslyn! HOLES! Not little itty bitty ones – no ma'am, they were the size of a half dollar!" I just had to laugh at my aunt. She wasn't used to seeing people with gauges I guess. St. Mary's had always been an upper-class summer town, but I guess that could be changing now.

I couldn't help myself looking over to the neighbor's house. It didn't look terrible from the outside – not a beer bottle in sight.

"Come on now dear, I'll show you to your room."

She let me have the best room in the small vacation house. It was a calm light blue with lavender trim. The room must have been Jess' when they vacationed here in the summers; it still smelled faintly like her perfume. I threw my suitcases on the daybed and opened the windows. It was much too beautiful to stay inside. It was a perfect 89 degrees – I put one of my new bikinis on that my mom had gifted me with before I left; just a simple white bandeau top and coral pink bottoms. I didn't waste any time throwing my clothes in the white empty drawers beside the bed – I'd organize everything later.

Tying my hair up and grabbing my beach tote, I padded outside. I didn't have to walk 10 yards to find a perfect spot to set up my spot. As soon as I laid out my beach towel and relaxed into the warm sand I realized how tired my body was from traveling. It was too perfect out, and I found myself drifting off.

And then I felt sand kicked over my stomach and a shadow blocking my sun, "What the hell-" I propped myself up on my elbows coming face to face with a dark haired person, I couldn't help but jumping backwards a little.

"You know," the boy started. I noticed his eyes lingering slightly too long on my chest, "It's really not a great idea to fall asleep in ninety degree weather." He said it so calmly that I wanted to punch him in the face.

"And who are you - The damn tanning police? I haven't even been out here a half hour!" I turned over and hissed through my teeth as the front of my body settled down on the sandy towel. I was burnt to a crisp.

"Actually – you've been out here for about two hours…" the boy replied and tossed me a tube of Aloe Vera, "you're 'gunna need that."

"Jo! Dear, dinner's ready – I'll pour you some sweet tea." My aunt called out to me from the house and the boy stood up. He shook some sand from his elbow length red plaid button up and dark black cargo shorts, which then fell onto my legs.

"I'll see you around, Jo," the boy turned and walked towards the neighbor's house. On the back of his forearm was a dagger in the shape of a gothic cross tattooed on his skin. On the porch were three other boys just staring at me.

I then quickly shook out my towel and grabbed my things to walk back inside. It took everything inside me not to moan from the sun burns I had gotten down the front of my body.

**Wow - two uploads in one night - this is a new record! How'd you like it? :) let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

"What did that boy say to you? I should've known they would already start trouble with you…" Aunt Nancy was shaking her head, dishing me up a plate of teriyaki chicken and rice. She had helped me rub the front of my body down with the aloe after I noticed how much like a lobster I would look like for the next couple of days. I just hoped it would turn into a tan and not peel off.

"Did they ask you to go drinking with them? I swear to God, if they even _think_ about inviting you along on one of their hellish outings, I'll kill 'em all." I laughed that she was so angry.

"Nancy, he just gave me that tube of aloe. He woke me up, that's it – I swear." She looked at the tube of gel like it was the most disgusting thing she had ever seen. Then locked eyes with me for what seemed like an eternity, and then gave up sighing.

"I'm sorry sweat pea, I just don't want your mom thinking I'm some crazy aunt that lets you run loose and get into trouble…" she was so much like my mother sometimes it was insane. I think that's why we've bonded so easily.

"I really don't think you have to worry, he seemed harmless." And he had seemed harmless… a _very_ _attractive_ harmless guy.

Nancy was by far a better cook than my mom ever was. She even made fresh key lime pie for dessert, which I hadn't had since I was a kid.

"I've got to go into town tomorrow for a few things, you can come if you want – but you don't have to." I just nodded in between my bites of cool delicious pie, "But, I really don't want you spending too much time outside if you do decided to stay… I'm sorry Jo, there's something about those boys that just get under my skin." I smiled at her again and promised her that nothing was going to happen. I would just wait inside for her to get home and then we could go out and do something.

She seemed pleased with that.

But I wasn't. By the time Nancy had left it was a beautiful 78 degrees and slightly cloudy. And as soon as she was out of sight I went right outside, not even glancing at the boys next door.

Okay I lied. That was the first place I looked, and I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed that there was no movement from the house.

Luckily, my burn had lessened with help from the Aloe Vera. And with the clouds mostly covering the sun, the leftover burn wasn't bothering me too much.

I decided to write 'I miss you guys!' in the sand. I took a picture and sent it to my mom and Aaron – they would probably like that. I wondered how she was doing without me there. But she had Aaron there with her. I suddenly got a mental image of them cuddling on the couch watching some action movie and smiled to myself. I tossed my phone back in my beach bag.

I was going to build a sand castle. I hadn't done that in years. It would be epic.

The sand was perfect – just the right amount of water to keep the sand wet enough to stick together, but dry enough so that it wouldn't be mush. It kept its shape well. The ocean behind me was calming and I was wrapped up in my own little world building my perfect sand castle.

It took nearly an hour, but I had finished it. I had nearly gotten to my feet when I was knocked right back down by a wall of water, straight on top of my sand structure.

My clothes were now sopping wet, sticking to my body. I had sand in my mouth and in my hair and I shrieked when something wrapped around my leg.

Of course, just seaweed. I bent down to unravel it from my ankle.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to turn your back to the ocean?" The deep voice made me jump and I met eyes with the boy who gave me the Aloe Vera. He was stretched out shirtless on _my _towel. It was quite a sight. He had tattoos splayed across his chest and shoulders… I assumed they continued down his back.

"Sorry about your house," I was confused until he pointed to the mass of wet sand at my feet. I had left a detailed body imprint in the ruined mess.

"It was a castle – and you're on my towel." I guess I didn't really know what to say or do except for state the obvious. He laid his choppy black head of hair back on the towel and chuckled to himself. My white shirt was still sticking to my body, showing off my black bikini top a little too nicely. The only other article of clothing I had on was my bikini bottoms – I felt naked under his not-so-subtle gaze.

My attention was pulled to the right as the rest of his friends were sitting on the deck again, watching us. It started to get on my nerves… and it made me uncomfortable. The boy jumped up from my towel, stretching out his tanned and toned body.

"How long have you been out here watching me?" I was amazed I was able to form the words – he was quite breathtaking… Especially now, walking closer to me. Our faces were about three inches apart, and he was just smiling as he looked down at me. He was at least as tall as Aaron, which was at least 6 foot 3 inches – almost a foot taller than my average 5 foot 6 inch stature.

"Now, I wasn't watching you – just observing," he had dimples on either side of his dark pink lips. A pair of expensive sunglasses covered his eyes.

I honestly didn't know what to say.

We just stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before he laughed to himself again, threw his arm around my shoulder and guided me over to his beach house.

Whoa, no – who did this guy think he was? Yeah, he was attractive… But Aunt Nancy had a bad feeling about them – and I trusted her. I peeled his arm off of my shoulders and ducked away from him, "I think I'd rather stay here, thanks." I turned on my heel, wanting to get away. But before I could do so his fingers wrapped around my wrist. My instincts told me to bring up my other hand, smash my palm into his nose and jab my knee up where it would hurt most.

I think he sensed this.

"Jo, chill out," he let my wrist go and I quickly backed away from him – but the sand really must have hated me today. I tripped backwards in deep hole and fell flat on my butt.

I don't think he even tried to hold in his laughter, which made my face a bright scarlet. He held his hand back out to help me up, but I really wish he didn't. I grabbed it anyway and murmured a quiet 'thanks'.

"I'm just going to go inside," I hitched my thumb towards my aunt's house and turned on my heel.

"My name's Kyler by the way. Kyler Dyson," He told me. I felt my pace slow but I was still walking toward my things to take inside. Even his name was attractive, and he was following me.

"Dyson? Like the vacuum brand?" I offered and laughed behind me over my shoulder. I heard him laugh to himself.

"Yeah, like the vacuum brand. Don't worry though – I don't suck _that _hard." Wow. I couldn't help rolling my eyes at the terrible pun.

"Actually, I changed my mind," I turned back around to him with my hands up, not realizing he was right on my heels my hands hovered over his tanned shirtless chest. I lowered them down to my side, "I'm going to sit right here on _my_ towel and read _my_ book – and you can go back to _your_ little frat beach house." His gaze followed my finger pointing to the house. I sat down on my towel and picked up my book flipping to my dog-eared page.

I think I may have read the same sentence over 4 times. I looked over the top of my book; silently, Kyler had decided to sit down beside my towel and stretch out on the sand. He cradled his head in his hands, looking like at any second he would start doing sit-ups. The sun had come out and seemed like it was gleaming down on him, perfectly highlighting every dip and groove of every muscle on him… especially his sex lines… wow. His stomach muscles were perfect, his chest was broad and defined… and even though he was purposely flexing his arms, I didn't mind.

"You don't have to hide behind your book you know," I flicked my eyes to his face and wondered how long he had been watching me watch him.

"Well I can't read with the sun glaring off your body into my eyes," I didn't know what else to say but I tried to sound irritated, It probably had made me look stupid, but I just wanted him to leave – kind of. He sat up and looked at me and cleared his throat. We just stared at each other for several seconds.

"I'm sorry, I probably didn't make the best first impression," he extended his hand to me; "I'm Kyler Dyson." Was he _serious_ right now? I eventually shook his hand, skeptical. He hitched his thumb behind him to the house. I saw that the other guys had gone back inside.

"My buddies were staying with me, but they're going back home today so you can tell your aunt it will be quieter around here." _His_ house? How old was this guy? He really didn't look much older than I was. He stood up and shook the sand off of him.

"Speaking of which, she just pulled up so I better get going," he smiled and turned around. I hadn't even heard her pull up.

"Oh," he looked back toward me and pointed at the book in my lap, "good choice by the way. The ending sucks though." I watched after him as he walked away. He could read?

"Jo! Could you help me carry a few things in?" Nancy yelled at me from the side of the house, startling me. I waited until I saw Kyler disappear into his beach house before I answered her.

**Yay! I finally updated something haha. School is almost out guys - and I found out about an amazing travel opportunity this summer! I get to be a summer nanny AND I GET TO TRAVEL HOLY CRAP GUYS I'M SO EXCITED! Hahahaha, I'll have to write about my trips or something ;) it's bound to be entertaining! Anywho! Please please let me know how you're liking this whole story so far :) Thank you beautiful people!**


	4. Chapter 4

After my third helping of an amazing shrimp and chicken dinner dish, I felt exhausted. Nancy seemed like she was as well, so we decided to turn in a little early – early for me. It was ten o'clock back home, but midnight here. I had helped her clean up from dinner and put the left overs in the fridge. And as tired as I felt, as soon as I showered and got into bed, I couldn't keep my eyes shut.

The room was too hot for my liking - so much so that I could only cover my feet with the sheets without sweating like a pig. I shut my eyes once more and thought about the conversation I had with my mom and Aaron earlier today before dinner. They were going to a concert tonight "like the old days" my mom had said. They sounded like giddy teenagers in love.

As I fell asleep, I could picture them going to Vegas while I was gone and getting married in one of those quick marriage stops. My mom in a burlesque costume and Aaron in some cheesy chip n' dale get up.

I was almost asleep - the pictures in my head were so vivid… but a light shining directly through my eyelids made my hand shield my face quickly. It was still dark out and the light faded. Checking the clock, I had only had my eyes closed for ten minutes.

And the light shined in again, from my window. And then off again a few seconds later.

My bare feet padded over and I pushed the pane upwards. The cool ocean breeze was a nice change in my humid room. The beam of light came on again, but this time it lit my form up briefly before traveling down the side of the house and onto the sand, leading to the front porch of Kyler's house. It had to be a flashlight. This happened two or three more times before I slid my foot out of the window and onto the cool sand. Nancy's house was one story and the windows were easy to get in and out of. This time the light stayed on me until I was standing about a foot in front of the window.

"Psst," it had to be Kyler. What were we, in middle school? I had to laugh though. I followed the round beam of light that guided me to the porch of Kyler's house, where I found him lounging on his front steps holding a bottle of water and the flashlight, "Well, good morning sleepy head," he joked and his eyes gazed up my bare legs. I forgot to slip something on other than my night shirt that was long enough that it covered my shorts.

"Don't get too excited," I pulled the side of my shirt up a few inches to show the shorts I had on.

"Yeah, sorry too late," Kyler took a drink from his water, not taking his eyes off my bare legs. I was glad it was dark; that way he couldn't see how red my face was if he managed to look up at it.

"So," I dug my toes in the sand feeling slightly uncomfortable, "Why exactly did you light me out of my room?" He sat further back on his hands, thinking.

"The guys left early… so I'm lonely," he winked at me and I couldn't help but laugh. He was charming, but I wasn't going to fall for his flirtations. Not all in one night – I hoped. I sat below him in the sand and traced random shapes. We didn't talk, but the silence wasn't awkward or anything. Now that I could hear the ocean I felt like I could fall asleep instantly. But I'm glad Kyler kept the conversation going for a while longer.

"So how long are you staying with Nancy?" he finished off his bottle of water, threw it in a tin garbage can beside a large grey cooler. Kyler opened it, taking two ice cold waters out. It was filled with nothing but water – not one can of beer or soda. He tossed one to me.

"I don't know really," and I didn't know. I didn't have a plan for college. Maybe I could stay here until the end of September. My cousin Jess always told me how beautiful it was here this time of year, "Until she gets sick of me I guess." I shrugged and drank some of the bottled water.

"Yeah…" he trailed off and we were silent for a few more minutes.

"Did you know I used to date your cousin Jess?" This actually didn't surprise me much. She was a couple of years older than I was which put Kyler around at least 21 years old.

"We were engaged actually." The water that I had just sipped was halfway down my throat when I choked, sending the water back up immediately.

"You _what_?" I spat out. He nodded, sipping out of his bottle. Engaged? To my _cousin?_ The same cousin who is now in medical school and engaged to a neurologist to be married next summer?

"Yeah, we were close, grew up next door during the school years and then we would spend our summers here next door to each other too – we were just always around each other." It didn't seem like he felt awkward talking about Jess like this. She was so tall, tan and perfect with her long blonde hair and big blue eyes – She was my idol when I was younger.

Kyler was just staring at me, slightly amused by my shocked expression.

"She proposed to me if you'd believe that," I nodded. She always had liked to be in control and was a leader. I just couldn't ever see her being with someone like… _him_. I tried to keep the disgusted facial expressions just inside of my head.

"Go ahead," he told me, "ask your questions, I'm guessing you have a handful or two." He was right… but I could only think of two.

"Why? And why did you guys break it off?" He stood up and stretched. His shirt pulled up several inches when he put his arms above his head. His sex lines showed and they looked a billion times better in the moonlight. He caught me gawking, laughed and stuck his hand out.

"Let's walk." His hand was warm and my heart fell when he let go of it after I was on my feet. _He's not even close to your type Jo – and for all you know he could've tried to kill or rape her and that's why they broke it off_. My subconscious really has issues.

**Thanks for reading! I'm done with summer college stuff so I have so much more time for writing! Please review and give feedback if you can! I just am having a really fun time writing this story :)**


	5. Chapter 5

We walked for a while, right along the shore line. I regretted not slipping on some flip flops because I couldn't see if I was going to step on a dead jellyfish or broken glass or something. I also wish I had a pair of sweats because being this close to the water along with the ocean wind was making my legs numb. I waited for Kyler to speak first, it seemed like he was deep in thought as we walked further down the beach. Our arms and hands brushed one another's every so often and it sent a shiver through my body almost every time.

After some more walking, Kyler took my hand again without saying a word. He led me away from the shoreline and up to a large sand dune. I wasn't up for climbing up anything this late at night – or early in the morning… I had no idea what time it actually was. We zigzagged up the pile of sand and I tried to show that I wasn't out of breath even though I felt like I might pass out if I took one more step. He let go of my hand again and sat down, patting the sand next to him. I could see his face clearly in the moonlight and he had a bright smile on his face. I sat and tried to imagine how beautiful the view would be if it were daytime.

I was getting a little impatient. It wasn't warm out and the sand was freezing against my bare legs.

"You look a little like her, you know?" Kyler finally broke the silence and I gave him a little smile. He was staring at my face very intently and I could only guess he was talking about Jess. My mom and Nancy look very similar and I had always heard that I was a brunette version of my cousin – except shorter and not as thin which _really_ boosted my self-esteem… not. He sighed and looked back toward the ocean.

"Jess and I started dating in 10th grade. We were all goofy and stupid teenagers in love and always talked about having a family and moving to some small country town. She knew she was going to be a doctor and I wanted to be a history major and be a professor. I have never been the one to want to get married but I never wanted Jess to leave me." He was trying to keep his voice emotionless, but I could tell he is angry as he tells me this story. He took a deep breath and clasped his hands in his lap.

"We went to a new year's eve party a couple of years ago. She had just had her 19th birthday and I was going to be turning 20 in a couple of weeks. We enrolled at the same university – her in the medical program and I took as many history classes that I could. We were with our friends and played some stupid drinking game because we could. It was at my family's beach house. After everyone left or passed out we went back to my room and… yeah." My face blushed as my mind pictured what they did. Kyler ran a hand through his hair.

"I woke up to the police pounding at my door. My parents had been killed in a car accident. A fucking drunk driver hit their car head on going 90 miles per hour on the highway just up the road." I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear any more of this story. I placed my hand over his and he looked at them, biting on his bottom lip.

"A couple of weeks later Jess showed back up to the beach house. She looked terrified and was crying and emotional and I had just started to grasp that my parents were gone. I hadn't seen her since that night, even though she had texted and called. Then she told me that we were going to have a baby… she was pregnant and wanted to spend the rest of her life with me and this… child. Of course I said yes – It's my fault for being too drunk to slip a fucking condom on. She was carrying my kid. I had to be strong for her, even though I had just lost my parents. It was something I could focus on." Kyler looked at me, trying to read my expressions. I didn't really know what to do or say… I had never heard anything about this baby.

"She lost the baby a few weeks later," he kept eye contact with me and I felt my eyes tear up, he squeezed my hand and looked back down at them.

"It was a terrible time for her, which is the reason she gave me for when I found her with another guy in our bedroom – the guy she's marrying next summer. He was in some of her medical classes and she didn't even apologize. I told her to get the hell out of my house and to never come back… I haven't seen her since. I've heard her car pull into her mom's driveway every now and then but I stay inside. I hadn't done anything to ever hurt her, but she blames me for losing the baby."

"Kyler – no she doesn't," I tried to reassure him as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"Jo, yes… She does. That's the last thing she said to me before her and that asshole doctor walked out of my house, and she believes that to this day, I know it." I didn't want to argue with him, but I didn't want to believe that my cousin that I had always looked up to would ever do something like that.

"Even though you look a little bit like her, I haven't found one other thing that reminds me of her." He smiled. It sounded a little bit like an insult, but I would take it as a compliment for now. I wasn't used to getting compliments of any sort. The sky had turned a light pink and the sun started to rise. It would be an amazing shot – I wish I had brought my camera.

I thought back to our conversation and tried to stifle a laugh. Kyler? A history teacher? He gave me a questioning look, "I'm sorry… but I really just couldn't EVER see you teaching history." He laughed and shook his head.

"Yeah I kind of ruined that dream… It all went downhill after she left." I nodded, but didn't want to hear him say anything else. He was looking at me and squeezed my hand again. I hadn't realized he was still holding it. His face became serious and leaned toward mine slightly and I felt frozen. _Move you idiot! He's going to kiss you!_ Even though my subconscious nagged me I didn't move.

"Don't move," his voice got deep and he whispered. He brought his hand up to my face. My heart was beating so fast I was sure he could hear it. I closed my eyes and felt myself lean in a little. And then he pulled at my hair.

"Ow! What the… Oh my god!" He was holding a giant sand beetle in his fingers. How could I not have felt that crawling on my head? I stood up, shrieked and ran my hands through my hair. Kyler stood up and grabbed both of my hands.

"Jo, calm down," he was laughing again, "We better get you back before your aunt wakes up - Which is pretty early during the summers…" I could feel my face turning redder by the second - Partly because I had just freaked out in front of him like that, and also because I leaned into kiss him – and he was just getting a huge ass bug out of my hair.

**How'd you like it? :) I love posting twice in one day...**


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